One of the most fun things about collecting Disney Traditions by Jim Shore is watching your shelves slowly turn into a little Disney universe.
A princess here.
A Stitch there.
An emotional Winnie the Pooh piece you absolutely did not need but somehow bought anyway.
But if you collect for long enough, eventually you start noticing something strange…
Some hugely loved Disney characters STILL do not have proper Jim Shore figurines.
Now, to be fair to Enesco, the last couple of years have actually been fantastic for filling some long-standing gaps. Collectors finally received:
- Robin Hood and Maid Marian
- Standalone Maid Marian
- Tod and Copper pieces from The Fox and the Hound
- More obscure side characters than we used to get
For years, collectors felt like only the “safe” Disney characters were getting attention — princesses, Mickey, Stitch and Christmas variants — while older cult classics were quietly ignored.
Thankfully, that does finally seem to be changing.
BUT…
There are still some truly shocking absences in the Disney Traditions world.
And some of them genuinely feel impossible to explain.
Merlin – The Biggest Missing Character?
At this point, Merlin from The Sword in the Stone has become the unofficial mascot of “How has this not happened yet?!”
Seriously.
Jim Shore’s folk-art style feels PERFECT for Merlin:
- flowing robes
- magical textures
- stars and moons
- rich blue colouring
- old storybook charm
It would practically design itself.
What makes it even stranger is that The Sword in the Stone has not been completely ignored. Madam Mim has appeared in Disney Traditions before.
Yet somehow…
still no Merlin.
And perhaps even more surprisingly…
still no Archimedes.
Archimedes Would Be An Instant Fan Favourite
Disney collectors LOVE grumpy side characters.
And Archimedes is arguably one of Disney’s greatest grumps.
You can already picture the figurine:
- puffed feathers
- irritated expression
- perched on spell books
- deeply disappointed in Arthur’s life choices
Honestly, he feels like EXACTLY the sort of quirky release collectors would go mad for.
Especially mini collectors.
Atlantis Still Feels Like A Huge Missed Opportunity
If you spend enough time around Disney collectors, you start noticing something interesting:
The people who grew up in the late 90s and early 2000s are now adult collectors.
Which means films like:
- Atlantis: The Lost Empire
- Treasure Planet
- Brother Bear
…have become deeply nostalgic.
And yet Disney Traditions has barely touched them.
Kida feels especially surprising.
Her design is stunning:
- glowing crystal aesthetics
- strong shapes
- ancient patterns
- dramatic colours
She feels MADE for Jim Shore styling.
And collectors would absolutely lose their minds over an Atlantis collection.
Treasure Planet Deserves Better
This one hurts a little.
Because Treasure Planet has quietly become one of Disney’s biggest cult classics.
People absolutely adore:
- Jim Hawkins
- Long John Silver
- Morph
- the gorgeous sci-fi visuals
And yet Disney Traditions has barely explored it.
A Jim Shore Long John Silver could honestly become one of the coolest Disney Traditions pieces ever made.
Imagine the detailing:
- treasure maps
- nautical carving motifs
- bronze and deep-space colours
- folk-art pirate styling
It would be incredible.
The Black Cauldron Is Still Disney’s Forgotten Child
Poor The Black Cauldron.
Disney sometimes acts like this film accidentally escaped into cinemas while nobody was paying attention.
Yet fantasy collectors LOVE it.
And visually?
It would work SO well as Disney Traditions.
The Horned King alone could become an unbelievable statement piece:
- dark gothic detailing
- eerie textures
- dramatic cloak patterns
- glowing eyes
Would it be niche?
Absolutely.
Would collectors obsess over it?
Also absolutely.
The Rescuers Has Barely Been Touched
Another surprisingly absent franchise is:
- The Rescuers
- The Rescuers Down Under
Bernard and Bianca are genuinely beloved Disney characters.
They have warmth.
Personality.
Charm.
And the films themselves have such a cosy adventure feeling that would translate beautifully into Jim Shore’s nostalgic style.
Also…
Joanna from Rescuers Down Under would be chaos in figurine form and I desperately want it.
Oliver & Company Feels Weirdly Ignored
This one surprises collectors constantly.
Because Disney fans LOVE Oliver & Company.
The music.
The New York setting.
Dodger especially.
And yet there has been almost no meaningful Disney Traditions presence for the film.
A Dodger figurine feels like something collectors would instantly connect with.
Particularly because animal characters tend to do incredibly well in Disney Traditions.
The Emperor’s New Groove Is STILL Underrepresented
Now this one genuinely feels bizarre.
Because The Emperor’s New Groove has become MASSIVELY popular online over the years.
The memes alone have kept the film alive for an entire generation.
And yet:
- very little Kuzco
- very little Kronk
- almost no Yzma
Which feels insane because Yzma is PERFECT for Jim Shore styling.
Can you imagine the expressions?!
The dramatic poses?!
The purple and black detailing?!
She would become an instant collector favourite.
Honestly, Kronk probably would too.
People adore Kronk.
Disney Collecting Has Changed
I think the really interesting thing is this:
Disney collectors today are not just buying “main characters” anymore.
People want:
- nostalgia
- emotional connection
- overlooked films
- side characters
- childhood comfort movies
Sometimes the pieces collectors become MOST passionate about are not the obvious blockbuster releases.
They are the characters that remind people of:
- childhood bedrooms
- grandparents
- VHS tapes watched endlessly
- rainy weekends
- comfort films nobody else seemed to remember
That emotional connection matters.
And when Jim Shore really gets it right, that is exactly what the collection captures.
Not just Disney characters…
but memories.
So Who Are YOU Still Waiting For?
That is the real question.
Maybe your dream release is:
- Merlin
- Archimedes
- Kida
- Jim Hawkins
- Yzma
- Bernard and Bianca
- The Horned King
- Dodger
- Basil of Baker Street
Or maybe there is an even more obscure character you are still hoping for one day.
At this point, Disney Traditions collectors could probably form a support group called:
“Characters We Cannot Believe Still Do Not Have A Jim Shore.”
I would join immediately!!!
